If We Hold on Together
by Mako
Summary: This was writen, again, while in Keyboarding...*snore*... anyways, this happened when everyone thought Kaoru was dead, (in vol. 24 of the manga) so it's a bit angsty. It's also a song fic. Another Sorry attempt.
1. Zero

yeah, i know that these aren't the right translations... i didn't have a translater, and i don't know THAT much japanese. I tried my hardest, and it's as close i as could get without looking at my translations that i found later. *sigh* major spoilers. Sorry. I just added a few things here and there. k? k. -Mako  
  
  
Song lyrics are in the ' '  
  
If We Hold on together  
  
  
She stood stalk still, looking in horror at the grinning face in front of her. Raising her shiina defensively, she took a protective stance.   
"You're the one who will bring Battousai the most pain." Enishi grinned his psychotic grin while pointing a pale finger at her.  
  
'Don't lose your way  
With each passing day  
You've come so far  
Don't throw it away'  
  
"I know i can't beat you, but i'm not going to just roll over and die. Kenshin told me that no matter how hard, he'd fight to the end to protect teh present. So he'll be here as soon as he can, like always. As long as Kenshin won't give up, i can't either!" she yelled, a slight blush creeping over her face.   
Mumbling something incoherent, she gasped as he disappeared from in front of her. Looking around for her enemy, a cold hand reached around her face and clasped itself over her mouth.  
She tried to scream, but her throat wasn't working. Fear filled her mind when she saw that the owner of the hand was standing right behind her.  
"Akira mero. (Give Up.)" His voice whispered, and she fell into darkness; the last thing that crossed her mind was Kenshin.  
  
'Live believing  
Dreams are for weaving  
Wonders are waiting to start  
Live your story'  
  
He couldn't move out of the giant's grasp. He knew Kaoru was in danger, but he couldn't move to save his own life.   
"WAIT YOU ASS!!" Sano yelled, punching the giant in the chest, sending him into the ground. Saito quickly stabbed him in the side with his sword, leaving a gashing wound. They always save my skin in some way or other… Kenshin thought to himself, picking up his dropped sword. He needed to get off his rage trip, needed to get to normal, needed Kaoru.   
  
'Faith, hope and glory  
Hold to the truth  
In your heart'  
  
Kaoru-dono….Kaoru-dono…wait for me...Kaoru-dono!! He ran past Megumi, who asked deaf ears what he was doing.  
He suddenly stopped.   
"That's the smell of white plum. For me, my sister's perfume. For you, now--"  
"ENISHI!!" Kenshin screamed (he was still touchy, being Battousai and all) "Why have you taken Kaoru-dono! Where is she?!"   
"The scent is your guide. Go and see. The answer you're looking for is there." Enishi faded back into the dust.  
He reached the now destroyed dojo, where he had last seen her, and stopped.  
He started sweating as Sano and Megumi finally reached him.  
"Kenshin!"  
"Ken-san! Ken…" Kenshin dropped his sword onto the dusty floor.  
  
'If we hold on together  
I know our dreams  
Will never die'  
  
"…What is the Hitenmitsurugiryuu for…." He went down onto his knees, burning tears threatening to spill. "…What is Himura Kenshin…I…I…why can't I ever protect the one person I want to protect the most…" the tears started spilling. "Kaoru…dono…"   
Burning tears ran down his bloody face, mixing with the dirt and grime.   
"Kaoru"  
There was her body, eyes open to look at the world through a dead stare, two cuts on her cheek to make it look like Kenshin's scar. Enishi's long, nasty sword right through her chest, pinning her to the wall.  
  
'Dreams see us through  
To forever  
Where clouds roll by'  
  
Kamiya Kaoru was 17. She was raised to fight by her father, the teacher at the Kamiya Dojo. Her body had been warm when Megumi had inspected it, marking that it was surely real. Blood had been spilled around it.   
She was buried at sunset one of the following days, and everyone that she knew were weeping over the loss. The Kenshin-Gumi weren't at her funeral; they had paid their respects earlier.  
All except for the Rurouni. He had disappeared after the battle, mumbling something about letting two lovers die at his own hand when he should have been able to protect them.  
Sano and the others found out, from one of Sano's dirty friends, that Kenshin had disappeared into the place for lost souls, wanderers whose wanders had ended. He had slipped away to a place called "Rakuninmura".  
  
'For you and I'  
  
  
Well wasn't that pleasant. For all you who don't know, I'm getting this story out of the manga, I'm sorta retelling it. Not 'cause I hate Kaoru, rather, I felt like I should write it. I don't know why. The song is called "If We Hold on Together", by Diana Ross. It was the end song to the first Land Before Time movie, and is a very sweet song. Rurouni Kenshin is owned by that one person…can't remember name at the time, but you know who I'm talking about, right? Well, look out for the next chapter! Sorry this one was so short. -Mako  



	2. End of the Dream

Major spoilers ahead. You all read the first chapter, right? This one isn't as dark and depressing as that one, but oh well. It doesn't really fit the song anymore. Lyrics are in the ' ' please review!!  
  
The trip to Rakuninmura was fast; it wasn't that far away, just outside of the lines. Rakuninmura was a ramshackle gathering for those who had been betrayed by the government and by the era.  
There sat Kenshin; eyes a dull, glass shade of purple, Sakabatou at his side. That wasn't unusual, but the fact that it was heavily chained up at his side was.  
No one could say anything, just look at him.  
"Ken…"  
"Let's go!" Sano interrupted him, yelling at Kenshin. "Get up! We're going to go kill Yukishiro Enishi! We're taking revenge for Jou-chan! It won't bring her back, but I'm not letting him get away! This is not how it ends!" Grabbing his gi and pulling him into a standing position, Kenshin's mouth opened.   
  
'Souls in the wind  
Must learn how to bend  
Seek out a star  
Hold on to the end'  
  
"Kenshin! Answer me!!"  
"Mou…" in a monotone voice "ii…" (No More) They stood there in shock. "Mou Tsukareta…" (I'm tired.)   
Sano twitched "You --" He yelled, throwing Kenshin into the ground with a sickening crunch.  
"Sanosuke!"  
"You bastard!!" Sano was about to beat Kenshin up royally, but was stopped when the other inhabitants of Rakuninmura appeared behind them.  
"So you lowlifes lick each other's wounds? I'll take you all down!"  
"Stop, you idiot! Tsubame-chan is with us! What if she gets hurt?!" Megumi yelled at Sano.  
"Kenshin-san…" Tsubame moved out of Kenshin's way as he went and sat down once more and mumbling "Mou ii…mou tsukareta…" then he closed his eyes.  
  
'Valley, mountain  
there is a fountain  
Washes away our tears  
All away'  
  
Dreams show you something that you don't see everyday. Opening his eyes, Kenshin found himself sitting on a pile of bones.   
"Here again..."  
*crunch* "Hey. Look at you know." Shishio asked him, standing in front of him.  
"How ironic that it should be you…it doesn't matter. Just take me." Kenshin said softly.  
"You fool. Who do you think you are? I'm just here to laugh at you. But I might take you with me all the same. You just have to realize that you were a failure. Your sword, your beliefs, your life, everything…admit it was all one big mistake you can never take back." Shishio grinned.  
  
'Worlds are swaying  
Someone is praying  
Please let them come  
Home to stay'  
  
"-mura! Himura!!"   
he opened his eyes to Misao and Yahiko's sandled feet. Misao started off on one of her unending streams of lectures. Yahiko shut her up with a small push, and kneeled down by Kenshin and asked him to come back to the dojo.   
"I'm not coming back here. I'll be waiting for you at the Kamiya dojo!"  
Misao and Yahiko both walked out of Rakuninmura, as an old, filthy man sits down next to Kenshin. Little birds flock around his head.  
"That's a fine boy, there. Now I've been living here for some time now, but you're the first I've seen to have a fine boy like that come from the outside asking for him. Y'know, I wonder if you didn't come here a little too soon."  
  
'If we hold on together  
I know our dreams  
Will never die'  
  
Yahiko and Misao neared the dojo, talking about Kenshin, when they heard Megumi's voice bickering with someone.  
"Wait just one minute!"  
They walk into the dojo to see Megumi arguing with Aoshi outside of the dojo.  
"What are you thinking? Do you even know what you're saying?"  
"Megumi!" Yahiko walks in.  
"Listen! Listen to what this idiot wants to-"  
"Don't call Aoshi-sama an idiot!"   
"An idiot is what he is!"  
Aoshi turned to look at Yahiko. "You'll help too."  
"What is this?"  
"We're going to unearth Kamiya Kaoru's grave tonight."  
  
'Dreams see us through  
to forever  
Where clouds roll by  
For you and I'  
  
Later that night, Yahiko remembered what Aoshi had said about Kaoru's death while he stood by Kaoru's grave.  
"Listen. You didn't see the circumstances that led up to Kaoru's death yourself, but didn't you think they were odd? Beginning with the destruction of the Akabeko, the persistent, malicious attacks of Earthly Justice came one after the other. The murder of Kamiya Kaoru was the greatest and the last, the crucial finale. But he only showed her dead-he kept her murder out of sight. Her final moments-Yukishiro Enishi knew full well that those would be the most painful for Battousai. But his revenge was complete when one of his friends was fighting him. Although it's not impossible that he had to change his plans when the fighting exceeded his expectations, Yukishiro Enishi got that far by planning with single-minded intensity. Nothing was overlooked." Aoshi, not a big talker, took a breath. "I read a great deal to prepare for the position of Okashira. I remember a record of a similar technique in the books left by my forebears. In the Warring States period, generals would leave a substitute "shadow warriors" in their places to ensure their own security. But training shadow warriors took great time and expense. What has developed was a secret method of constructing dolls out of corpses that couldn't distinguish from real people at a glance. If the puppet master called Gein had inherited these techniques-"  
"That's enough! I verified the body!! She was bleeding; the warmth was just leaving the skin…that was no doll! Maybe someone as cold as you couldn't understand, but we're all hurting right now! I don't know anything about secret techniques, but your groundless speculation is only making things worse!"  
"You're sure? When a person close to you has died, can you make a rational, absolute judgment?" Aoshi commented.  
"You...You're heartless!"  
Something clicked in Misao's head, and yelled "What? I didn't get what Aoshi-sama was going on about, but I got that!"  
"You moron." Yahiko mumbled for all of them to hear.  
"What?!"  
"You're saying that the body we saw could have been a fake?" Yahiko asked, looking at Aoshi.  
"What I'm suggesting is a possibility. When you think about it, it's pretty low. But it's not zero."  
  
'When we are out there  
in the dark  
We'll dream about the sun'  
  
Now they stood around Kaoru's unearthed grave.  
'Maybe we'll just face despair again, but-' he thought, "I'll open it."  
They removed the lid, only to be greeted by Kaoru's unmoving body.  
"Kaoru-san…" Misao started to cry looking at Kaoru's body.  
Megumi started to lift her wrist. "I'm sure. This is no doll. This is real…"  
Aoshi stepped closer, and then unsheathed his sword. "Close your eyes."  
"Wait! What are you-" Megumi tugged on his sleeve.  
"According to the records, these dolls were very elaborate. From the surface no one can tell. The only way to be sure is to take them apart."  
"That's sick! How far are you going to take this?!"   
'It's a possibility. If you think about it, it's close to zero. But it's not zero.' Yahiko put his hand on Megumi's arm. 'It's not-it's not zero!' aloud "Do it! Aoshi!"  
  
'In the dark  
We'll feel the light  
Warm our hearts  
Everyone'  
  
Aoshi stabs the body, while everyone else flinches. Then he reached inside and pulled out a handful of bloody steel cables.  
"We bet on a possibility that wasn't quite zero and won. Yukishiro's motive in employing a fake isn't clear. But we can say one thing. Kamiya Kaoru hasn't been killed. She's alive somewhere."  
'Kaoru's alive!! Kaoru's alive!! Kenshin-"  
  
(I'm skipping a lot, I'm sorry. You'll just have to find what happened somewhere else. Skipping to the end of the fight with Enishi, k?)  
  
'If we hold on together  
I know our dreams  
Will never die'  
  
Enishi's sword was shattered, and his glasses fell to the sandy beach.  
Everyone started smiling, and started to run towards Kenshin.  
"Kenshin…" Kaoru blushed, smiling.  
Kenshin almost fell, pain running up his body.  
"Let's go!" Megumi grabbed her medical box and started running for Kenshin.  
"Are you all right, Hi-" Misao was stopped when Kenshin asked them, in a tired voice:  
"Please… wait…"   
Enishi stood up, holding his broken shoulder, blood and tears mixing on his face.  
"Ba…tousai…………Battousai!" he was gasping.  
Kenshin looked up.  
"Eni-"  
*BAM*  
  
'Dreams see us through  
To forever  
As high  
As souls can fly'  
  
Pain shot up Kenshin's shoulder, as the bullet lodged itself in his shoulder. Everyone looked over to where Enishi's old henchman stood, holding two guns. Kenshin fell, as sand flew around him.  
The henchman started screaming and aimed his other gun at the crouching Kenshin.  
"NO!!" Kaoru, tears spilling down her face, as she run to stand in front of Kenshin, right where the gun's nozzle was pointed.   
Enishi looked, but instead of seeing Kaoru's back, he saw his sister and her death.  
"DIE!!" Kaoru closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to come. When it didn't come, she opened her eyes.  
Enishi ran up and punched the man in face, sending him into a tree. Shaking, he ran at the bleeding man, about to punch him into death, ignoring Kaoru.  
Instead hitting skull, Enishi hit a hand of a calmer Kenshin.  
"Move!"  
"No."  
"MOVE!!"  
"You've been killing since you were a child. But today you saved someone's life. You aren't to decide when someone's life is to end!!"  
Enishi garped (new word ^^)  
  
'The clouds roll by'  
  
"You've been killing long enough." Enishi fell to his knees.  
"You protected Kaoru-dono…I thank you…" tears started spilling down Enishi's face.  
"It's wrong! I didn't protect anyone! I - I - Damn it!! … Damnit….  
Kaoru walked closer to Kenshin.  
"Let's go home, ok?" Kenshin panted, as walked towards Kaoru. Of course he would have to trip into the arms of Kaoru.  
"oro?"  
  
'For you and I'  
  
Owari.  
  
So how did you people like it? I left it ending there…'cause if you don't know what happens in the end, that's your problem :P The song is by Diana Ross, and it's called "If We Hold on Together"… I suggest downloading it!! *cracks whip* thanks again! And I don't own Rurouni Kenshin! Thanky! Told you i liked Kaoru! She's one of my favorite characters! -Mako  



End file.
